Netherlands to vote on law banning slaughter of meat by halal and kosher methods without anesthesia

For reasons of animal welfare, the Dutch parliament is considering a ban on ritual slaughter without the prior use of anesthesia. Although the vote on the bill proposed by the Dutch Animal Party banning ritual slaughter is still a few weeks off, it could possibly get a majority.

Anesthesizing animals prior slaughtering them is mandatory in the Netherlands. An exception, however, was made for halal (Muslim) and kosher (Jewish) slaughtering. In these cases the animals for some obscure religious reason do not have to be anesthesized prior to slaughter.

Both the Muslim and Jewish communities are now protesting the upcoming vote in the Dutch parliament. “I can speak for the Dutch Jewish Community and I think for the wider Jewish world, that this law being voted on in the Netherlands raises grave concerns about infringements on religious freedom”, said Ruben Vis, Secretary-general of the Dutch Jewish umbrella organization

Abdulfatteh Ali-Salah, Director of Halal Correct, a certification Muslim body for Dutch halal meat, said that his organization and Muslims in general will protest if the law passes. .

A member of the Animal Party in the Netherlands, in response to the statements made by the Muslim and Jewish organizations said,  " maybe the next time one of them goes to the dentist they should opt-out for having an anesthesia given to them, just to experience a little of the pain they are inflicting on animals during their religious rituals"..  

EU-Digest